Visit china without visa

Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the agency, said in a recent report on the government website that there are "signs of recovery" in the tourism sector.Tourist numbers in July, August and September were all higher than the corresponding month last year, ending 13 months of declines, including a sharp fall of 23.4% in March.“With this new trend, we hope that the market can bounce back,” Tuan said.He said his agency is proposing visa exemption for passport holders from 19 new markets, without naming them and providing any timeframe. Tuan said the industry has been given a boost thanks to the recent visa waiver policy for tourists from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain and Belarus.The country has already waived visa requirements for visitors from Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The government has also allowed Viet kieu (overseas Vietnamese), their foreign spouses and children to visit Vietnam without a visa. More than 4.5 … [Read more...] about Tourism authority seeks visa waiver for 19 countries to boost arrivals

Groups of Chinese travelers will soon be able to stay in Vietnam's border city of Mong Cai for up to three days without applying for a tourist visa, authorities in Quang Ninh Province have announced in an official statement. The northern province - home to world heritage site Ha Long Bay - has eased visa requirements for Chinese citizens to encourage travelers to visit Mong Cai. The more relaxed visa rule is scheduled to take effect at the beginning of next year. On a trial basis, only one local travel agency, Hong Gai Tourism and Services, will be allowed to take Chinese tourists into Vietnam by 9-seater vehicles or smaller passenger cars. The company must ensure Chinese tourists do not travel beyond the border city of Mong Cai or stay longer than the permitted three days. The local government will also limit the number of cars to no more than 100 per day. It is unclear whether the tourists will be required to get a temporary visa at the border crossing. The northern border city of … [Read more...] about Vietnam province eases visa policy for Chinese tourists

On Tuesday, Vietnam's National Assembly overwhelmingly approved a plan to allow foreign tourists to apply for electronic visas (e-visas) starting on February 1, 2017. Under the program, tourists will be able to apply online for 30-day, single-entry e-visas by paying a non-refundable application fee online. The Vietnamese government is working to decide which nationalities will become eligible for the program and which Vietnamese border gates will allow foreigners to enter by applying online. Vietnam's foreign tourist arrivals jumped by a quarter in the first ten months of 2016, hitting eight million, according to figures from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, China was the country’s biggest feeder market with 2.2 million visitors, followed by South Korea at 1.2 million and Japan at 611,000. Vietnam has extended visa exemptions to tourists from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Sweden, … [Read more...] about Vietnam approves e-visa pilot

Figures from CLSA, a Hong Kong brokerage and investment firm formally known as Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia, showed Vietnam has overtaken France to enter the top 10, which is led by Hong Kong, Thailand and the Republic of Korea.The survey polled more than 400 Chinese travelers across 25 cities with an average age of 35 and a monthly income of 20,000 yuan (US$2,900).Safety remains the prime concern for mainland travelers, followed by cost and sightseeing opportunities.A series of terror attacks last year in Europe had deterred Chinese travelers, it said, as cited by the South China Morning Post.Last May, a MarketWatch report, citing data from American Express, also showed that summer bookings to Europe’s top destinations, notably France and Turkey, had been hurt by the attacks.China has always been Vietnam's main source of tourists, and their numbers increased by 57% on-year in the first six months of 2017, reaching nearly 1.9 million and accounting for 30% of … [Read more...] about Vietnam beats France to crack China’s top 10 travel destinations

The government has approved the launch of online visas for short-term travelers to the country or for those on business visits, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The new visa rule, which is expected to come into effect next year, will only apply for those from Vietnam’s top tourist sources. Under the new program, visitors will apply for their visas online and collect them at airports. The country received 7.94 million tourists last year, according to tourism authorities. Vietnam’s top 10 tourist markets are China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, the U.S., Russia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The country already offers visa exemptions for tourists from South Korea, Japan and those from Southeast Asian countries, as well as travelers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Vietnam will also allow Chinese tourists traveling in groups and by car to stay in a northern border city for up to three days without applying for … [Read more...] about Vietnam to launch e-visas in tourism drive

China on Wednesday abruptly closed a loophole that provided multiple-entry visas for Korean business travelers, apparently in retaliation for a recent decision to station U.S. missile defense batteries in Korea, source from Chosun said yesterday. A couple of agencies facilitating visa applications by issuing invitation letters to Koreans have apparently been closed down. Travel industry sources said the move was part of China's retaliation against Korea for deciding to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here.The decision has agitated Chinese state media, which have warned darkly of "consequences" Korea "cannot afford."According to the Foreign Ministry here, the agencies issued letters of invitation for Koreans, a requirement for multiple-entry visas for business trips and cultural exchanges. That means that smaller Korean businesses and private businesspeople without big official partners now have more trouble going on vital trips.One diplomatic source said, "China … [Read more...] about China Obstructs Business Visas for Koreans

Officials from the Immigration Department, the Tourism Department in Ho Chi Minh City and related agencies yesterday held a ceremony at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to welcome the first visitor to arrive in Vietnam granted an electronic visa.Richard Kenneth Wilson who is the British national applied online for e-visa. Tourist agents said that the implementation of e-visa is expected to facilitate paperwork; accordingly it will attract more holiday-makers to Vietnam. Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Bui Ta Hoang Vu said that the pilot program of e-visa issuance for residents in 40 countries was officially launched in February, 2017. Applications are to be processed by the immigration authority within three working days, applicants can access and print their e-visa using an ID provided by the website during the submission process.Applicants just make online payment of US$25. Vietnam’s immigration authority can directly issue visas via the system to … [Read more...] about HCMC welcomes first tourist on e-visa

Visitors can look forward to the new visa as early asOctober, following the approval by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ochaearlier in the week. Tourists swim at sunset on Patong beach in Phuket, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/Nicolas Asfouri) The Thai Government has introduced a new six-month multiple-entry visa for visitors from any country. Visitors can look forward to the new visa as earlyas October, following the approval by Thai Prime Minister PrayutChan-ocha earlier in the week. The new multiple-entry visa will costslightly more than US$140, compared to a single-entry visa that costsabout US$28. The Tourism and Sport Minister said the newmeasure is aimed at increasing the number of tourists to the country.While foreigners from about 40 countries do not require a visa to enterThailand, visitors from some countries in the region, such as China andIndia, still do. The president of the … [Read more...] about Thailand introduces multiple-entry visa

Abill passed by Congress this month bars citizens from 38 mainlyEuropean countries from travelling to the United States without a visaif they have previously visited Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan since 2011. It also requires a visa for citizens of those countries if they are dual nationals of any of the four target nations. Tehransays the new regulations fly in the face of its landmark nuclear dealstruck with major powers, including the United States, in July. Inthe letter to his counterparts in the European parliament, France,Britain, Germany, Russia and China, the chairman of the Iranianparliament's national security and foreign policy committee, AlaedinBoroujerdi, described the law as "unfair and discriminatory". "Iwould like to urge you to make every effort to oppose this decision bythe US administration," he said, quoted by the ISNA news agency,describing it as a "destructive blow" to the nuclear agreement. Thepresident of the French Senate, Gerard Larcher, criticised the new … [Read more...] about Iran official urges opposition to new US visa rules

Visitors from Viet Nam and 44 other countries no longer have to obtain visas while transiting through China within 72 hours.At a press briefing in HCM City on Monday, the Hangzhou Tourism Promotion Department said from July 1 passengers can visit China for up to 72 hours without an entry visa when passing to third nations through Beijing and Shanghai airports.-VNS … [Read more...] about Visa exemption for China transits